Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Abbotsford

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,247 in Abbotsford, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Abbotsford
Learn more

Abbotsford Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Abbotsford

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Abbotsford

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Panama City and in Abbotsford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $2,247 in Abbotsford, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Abbotsford $2,247

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $3,269 in Abbotsford, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Abbotsford $3,269

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $4,290 in Abbotsford, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Abbotsford $4,290

Panama City is about 17% cheaper than Abbotsford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Abbotsford sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Abbotsford by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$14.54 CA$20.56

-20.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$49.43 CA$69.9

-3.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$10.22 CA$14.46

-22.11%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.71 CA$5.24

13.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.85 CA$2.61

8.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.56 CA$2.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$5.92 CA$8.37

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.66 CA$7.99

-30.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.84 CA$2.61

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.10 CA$2.97

21.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$4.42 CA$6.25

-21.27%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.05 CA$4.32

-11.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$12.50 CA$17.66

0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$18.01 CA$25.46

-62.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$30.26 CA$42.78

-65.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$5.88 CA$8.31

-28.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.43 CA$2.02

27.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$4.87 CA$6.89

-13.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.64 CA$5.15

10.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$4.08 CA$5.76

-14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.47 CA$3.50

70.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.60 CA$3.67

-7.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.87 CA$2.64

-9.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$14.92 CA$21.09

-58.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$10.36 CA$14.64

9.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$4.08 CA$5.76

-65.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$3.70 CA$5.23

-26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.66 CA$3.75

-87.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$45.17 CA$63.9

-53.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.49 CA$4.93

-27.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.42 CA$2.01

30.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$24.25 CA$34.29

-10.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.34 CA$1.89

-6.72%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$27.4K CA$38.8K

-22.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.6K CA$26.3K

13.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$130 PAB 130

$114 CA$161

14.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$42.52 CA$60.1

-33.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$67.3 CA$95.1

-28.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$29.49 CA$41.69

55.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$15.48 CA$21.88

125.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$11.11 CA$15.71

-21.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$544 PAB 544

$365 CA$516

49.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$8,433 CA$11.9K

14.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$52.8 CA$74.6

26.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$40.36 CA$57.1

21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$80.0 CA$113

17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$96.5 CA$136

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,276 CA$1,804

-1.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,077 CA$1,522

-18.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,888 CA$2,669

14.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,685 CA$2,382

-7.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$4,602 CA$6,506

-32.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,767 CA$3,912

-38.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$3,082 CA$4,357

-70.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.72

35.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Abbotsford: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Abbotsford

$1.1K 47.9% 23% $202

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Abbotsford

$462 20.6% 42% $137

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Abbotsford

$246 11% 19.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Abbotsford

$224 10% 8.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Abbotsford

$121 5.4% 16.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Abbotsford

$52 2.3% 18% $11

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Abbotsford

$66 3% 93% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,276 in Abbotsford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 236% higher in Abbotsford, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $49.00 in Abbotsford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $462 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Abbotsford

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

141,397

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.889 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.889 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Abbotsford 5,960 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Abbotsford

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Panama City vs Abbotsford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,855 in Panama City, $2,247 in Abbotsford – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $3,371 in Abbotsford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panama City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $49.00 in Abbotsford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $2,247 in Abbotsford. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Abbotsford at $2,247. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Abbotsford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,855 in Panama City to $2,247 in Abbotsford. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Abbotsford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.